Digitized Primary Resources

Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict

In 1954, a new separate School District was formed in Oyen, Alberta. Father Stephen Molnar, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Oyen relayed a plea for teachers to serve at the newly created Roman Catholic Assumption School. Mother Dorothea from the Order of St. Benedict of Arborg, Manitoba answered his plea, and after obtaining the permission of the Bishop of Calgary, four sisters arrived in 1955 to establish a convent and to teach and to minister to the people of Oyen and the surrounding area. In all, twenty-six Sisters taught and ministered in the area until 1973.

In 1963, Father Molnar established the new Parish of St. Cecelia in Calgary, Alberta and once again sent a plea to the Order of St. Benedict in Manitoba for teachers. Five Sisters travelled to Calgary to establish the convent and teach in the Roman Catholic Elementary Schools: St. Cecelia’s and St. Mathew’s. As the years passed, the Sisters expanded their scope beyond teaching young children. They taught adult education and religious studies to all grades in the Calgary Catholic School system as well as special needs educational programs. They were actively involved in the Catholic Diocese of Calgary and surrounding areas.

Student & Academic Services for The Alberta Women's Memory Project - Last Updated October 18, 2012